ance, or even candid in fact, which the latter would not fufpect of covering fome treachery, and of being infidiously intended, by deceiving or dividing them, to deprive them by circumvention and fraud of thofe liberties, which they found force infufficient to deftroy. In fuch circumftances of diftruft, all attempts at negociation must be fruitless. The fanction of parliament will then come in happily to afford that confidence, without which no treaty can ever produce an amicable conclufion fo that if the Minifters are really ferious and honeft in their proposals, and are not playing that part which the Americans always charge and fufpect them with, they will, inftead of oppofing, chearfully accept of that aid and fupport, which can alone give effect to this measure.

On thefe grounds his Lordfhip moved, that the Houfe fhould refolve itself into a committee, to confider of the revifal of all acts of parliament, by which his Majefty's fubjects in America think themfelves aggrieved.

The Minifters denied, that there was any thing novel, any thing that bore the appearance of lead ing, or that carried any defign of dictating to parliament, in the promife held out by the Commiffioners. On the contrary, as it was founded on the great principle which had pervaded the conduct of adminiftration from the beginning, fo it was the language of parliament at the very outset. The great object of both, was the reftoration of peace in America. The addrefs of both Houfes in February 1775, the bills which followed that addrefs, the act of parliament under which the Commiffioners acted,

and their declaration, which is now held up as an object of offence, all tended to the fame point. The parliament had delegated the authority now exercised, specifically in the act, and generally by the addrefs. The leading object of the addrefs, was a recommendation to his Majefty to hear and enquire into grievances, to tranfmit an account of them home, and to engage, on the part of the legiflature, that where grievances really exifted, they fhould be redreffed. The proclamation goes no farther. Even without these fanctions, the King, as the head and mouth, both of the nation and legislature, would have been warranted in fuch an engagement, as a motive of encouragement, and ground of reconciliation. Should it be faid, that no redress of grievances would be afforded? or that the King could not venture to engage for the other parts of the legislature in an act of justice, left it should be conftrued into a violation of their rights?

The charges against the Minifters of endeavouring to keep this tranfaction fecret, and of hiding their conduct from the knowledge and inspection of parliament, were faid to be equally groundless. Could any intended or poffible privacy be fuppofed, with refpect to a public proclamation, which was pofted for the infpection of all man kind upon the walls and houses of New York? The idea was ab. furd. The Minifters did not indeed think it of fufficient moment to be laid before parliament. was as yet no treaty nor part of a treaty, it was barely a preliminary which might poffibly lead to one. Had a negociation been even com

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menced, it would have been equally abfurd and improper to communicate it to parliament during its progrefs, unless it was fufpended at fome point, upon which the intervention of parliament became neceflary. Thus the negociation between Mr. Pitt and M. de Buffy was not published during its pendency.

The motion was oppofed upon many grounds. It was faid, that it would difcredit the Commiffioners, and throw unexpected difficulties in the way of a negociation, which was probably already begun, and perhaps confiderably advanced. It was now in their hands, in the common, natural, and regular course of business; why then undo whatever has been done, and difgrace the Commiffioners, by taking it from them, without fome fufficient motive? If it should be faid, that the motion would not detract from the powers of the Commiffioners, but, on the contrary, increase them; though the affertion is not admitted, yet other objections equally conclufive would lie against the measure even upon that ground. By giving them the fanction propofed by the motion, it would evidently appear, that they were not before armed with parliamentary powers fufficient to fulfil the profeffed objects of their commiffion; a circumftance which muft naturally excite the jealoufy of the Americans, and fill them with the most alarming doubts, as to their real views, and the true object of their miffion. Befides, why should parliament run before the Commiffioners in their conceffions? Who knows but that the Americans would be fatisfied with far lefs than we fhould here

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accord to them? By this premature bounty, we might defeat the endeavours of the Commiffioners to obtain the moft advantageous terms for the crown, the parliament, and the trading intereft of this kingdom.

That to revife or repeal laws, under the idea of redreffing the grievances of a people, who totally denied the authority of those laws, and who confequently could not be aggrieved by them, would be an abfurdity of fo fuperlative a degree, as could not fail exciting the ridicule of mankind. The Americans have declared themfelves independent; what avails it to deliberate upon the conceffions, which we are willing, or it is fitting for us to make, until we know whether any conceffion will bring them back to an acknowledgment of our authority? Shall we admit of their independency, by treating with them as fovereign ftates? or fhall we subject ourselves to their contempt and derifion, by debating upon the degree of authority which we fhall exercise over thofe, who totally deny our right and power to exercife any?

In a word, faid they, the queftion of independency must firft be fettled as a preliminary, before any treaty can be entered into, or any conceffion made. Let them give that up, and acknowledge our legislative authority, and then we fhall willingly, and with propriety, form legislative regulations for their future eafe and government.

But whilst they perfift in their claim of independency, and hurl defiance at us as fovereign ftates, no treaty can be thought of, and conceffions would be as futile, as ridiculous and difagraceful. Up

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on the whole it was finally declared, that until the fpirit of independency was effectually fubdued, it would be idle to enter upon any revifions, or to pafs any refolutions, as means of conciliation; and that the fword must be first taken out of the hands of the governing part of America, before that purpose could be accomplished. That the Congress did not at prefent govern America; but held it enthralled under the most cruel tyranny. That from our late fucceffes, and the difference between the troops which compofed the armies on either fide, there was little room to doubt, that this arbitrary power would foon be diffolved, when the great body of the people, finding themfelves emancipated from the cruel yoke of their leaders, and the charm by which they had been blindfolded and mifled, being now at an end, they will return to their duty with as much rapidity, as they had before entered into the revolt. Then will be the time to think of legislative regulations for their future government, and to talk of lenity, forbearance, and even conceffion; at prefent, fuch ideas and fuch language are fruitless, if not worse.

The explanations given to reconcile the declaration of the Commiffioners with the rights of parliament, and the refpect due to that body, were by no means fatisfactory to the other fide. They first denied the fact on which the arguments of miniftry were founded namely that the promife of concurring in the "revifal of laws was a matter of "negociation." It was a power

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given previous to any treaty, ei ther in progrefs, or even in commencement; and the refufal to do what was fo promised, would, inftead of forwarding, prevent any tranfaction of the kind. They laughed at the idea, of the Americans being fatisfied with asking. lefs than we fhould voluntarily grant, and the danger of our outdoing their demands by our conceffions. They faid it was an evident mockery. The crown had promifed in this proclamation fomething which without parliament it could not perform.

They infifted, that neither the addrefs of 1775, nor any of the documents mentioned, came in any degree up to the matter in queftion. They extended no farther than to the receiving of complaints of grievances, and referring them to the confideration of parliament, that it might judge of their validity, and prefcribe a remedy if neceffary. But the promife in the declaration, if not a piece of hypocrify held out merely to deceive and trepan the Americans, can mean nothing lefs, than an engagement on the fide of the crown for the future conduct of parliament. Nay it goes farther, it engages that parliament shall act directly contrary to its own opinion, fentiments, and conduct, in a matter, on which it has repeatedly declared and confirmed them; for as the crown cannot poffibly have any fhare in the revifal of laws, though it has on their being paffed or repealed, the engagement can mean nothing elfe than the repeal of thofe acts, though all the world knows, that the houfe has

conftantly rejected every overture of that nature, with, the highest disdain, and most determined perfeverance.

Nor was the flight and contempt fhewn to parliament lefs in any part of the American bufinefs. Though they granted the moft unbounded fupplies without account or enquiry, and lavished their conftituents money with a profufion unknown in any other period, yet were they kept totally in the dark in all matters neceflary for their knowledge, and only fhewn at certain times fo much light, as was fufficient to mislead them for fome particular purpose. Thus, nothing is to be heard from minifters within thefe walls, but the heroic language of fubjugation, unconditional fubmiffion, and a war of conqueft. America is to be fubdued; charters are to be modified or annihilated at pleafure; and an effective revenue is to be obtained, fufficient to render our own burthens quite easy. Whilft parliament is thus amufed, and thefe doctrines fecure an irrefiftible party, and the bulk of the people on this fide of the water, the most moderate meafures and fascinating promises are held out by the fame minifters on the other fide, and nothing is to be heard in America, but peace, conciliation, and parental tendernefs. If a ftragling fact finds its way into the house by the aid of a news-paper, we are at one time told that its notoriety rendered a communication of it unneceffary, as by only stepping to New York, any body might have read it there upon the walls of the burning houses; and at another, we are gravely informed, that as Mr.

Pitt did not communicate fome private converfation which paffed between him and M. de Buffy, it would not be fitting to intruft parliament with the fecrets contained in a public proclamation.

But nothing was fo totally reprobated by oppofition, or gave rife to fo much afperity in the debate, as the doctrine of entering into no treaty or negociation with the Americans, until they had refcinded the declaration of independency. This was, they faid, a doctrine founded in cruelty, and crying out for blood. It was telling them in exprefs terms, that they muft either furrender their arms, all the rights of freemen, and fubmit to any flavery which it was thought proper to impofe on them, (for unconditional fubmiffion could mean thing elfe,) or they must prepare to endure the utmost extremities of war, and to fight it out to the laft man.

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They asked upon what precedent this horrid doctrine was founded. Philip the IId of Spain, who was, in his day, confidered as the moft gloomy, cruel, and defpotic tyrant in Christendom, when he was in the fame circumftances with the Netherlanders, whom he had alfo forced to a declaration of independency, accommodated, notwithstanding, the extravagance of his pride, and the bitterness of his refentment, to a wifer, as well as more humane policy. He condefcended to treat with thofe daring rebels, who by declaring themfelves fovereign and independent, had thrown off all allegiance to him ; he, by public edict, admitted their fhips to enter his ports, and